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Professional indemnity

Unless you are a social worker, you must have a professional indemnity arrangement in place as a condition of your registration with HCPC.

When registering, you will be asked to make a professional declaration to confirm that you have (or will have) one in place and that it provides the appropriate level of cover.

This requirement does not apply to social workers because it was introduced by the UK Government to implement European legislation. This legislation applies to all the other professions registered by HCPC but does not extend to social workers.

Meeting the requirement

The majority of our registrants will already meet this requirement because they work in an employed environment where their employer indemnifies them. If this is the case, you need not take any action.

If you are self-employed, you will need to make your own professional indemnity arrangement directly through an insurer.

Some professional bodies, trade unions and defence organisations offer professional indemnity cover as part of their membership, or for an additional fee.

Level of cover

The arrangement you have in place will need to provide cover appropriate to your practice, taking into account the nature and extent of its risks. It will need to be sufficient to meet any liability that may be incurred if a successful claim is brought against you. What ‘appropriate cover’ is for you may depend upon a combination of factors, including:

the practice area or areas you work in;

the service users you work with; and

the risks involved with your practice.

For further procession-specific advice or support, you should consult your professional body, trade union, defence organisation or insurer.